Place To Belong
by AmenToTheMangaBible11
Summary: She's my world, my life, and the place I long to return to the most at the end of everything I've done. (In honor of Veteran's Day.)
1. Chapter 1

For Veteran's Day.

Rated for slight language.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

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I sighed heavily. My chest constricted painfully. It had been too long, far too long since I had seen her. It probably wasn't as long as I thought it had been, but in my mind, any time away from my wife was too long.

She was beautiful, the single most beautiful person I'd ever met. Nothing she could ever do would change that, and no one would ever come close in comparison to her. She still blushed whenever I'd compliment her though, despite having been married for six years and doing much more than complimenting each other. It's okay though, her blush just made her glow, and for lack of a better word to describe it all, she was ethereal.

Hinata. The most perfect name I'd ever been given the right to speak. I held her photo in my hands, stroking my thumb slowly across her dimpled cheek. A few delicate strands of her dark hair were caught in her eyelashes, and since I'd been gone, I'd desperately wanted to brush them from her face. God, I loved her so much it hurt.

We met in school, but also, before then. She'd apparently known me long before I knew her, but I wasn't always the brightest crayon in the box, although I did usually dress like one. Orange, still the coolest color ever made.

I was a bit dim, still am, but smart enough to work some heavy machinery. She was a genius, brilliantly smart with the sweet attitude to match in her perfection. She was always being teased back then, but I just knew it was because she was so much better than those other girls. Coincidentally enough, she was a victim of the girl I loved. It didn't take long for all of that to change.

The plane jostled me and I clutched tightly to the belt strapped across my waist. Just a few more minutes and I'd be able to see her. I hope she recognized me, I'd changed quite a bit.

College had never quite appealed to me, because, in case you missed it before, I'm none too bright when it comes to things other than fighting- thanks to always having to be on my toes as a child (being the class fool did have it's downsides)- so I decided to enlist right after high school. It had been a good decision, one I'd decided long before I'd even made it to the 7th grade. I was a born fighter, it was just my nature, and nothing was going to hold me back from doing what I was good at and protecting my country in the long-run. Until Hinata came into my life.

Things became complicated then.

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_End Part 1_

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This'll be in 3 parts. Next bit will be up momentarily. Hold please!


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2 of Place To Belong. **

_**Flashback: 8th Grade.**_

_"What do you mean you don't have my homework done yet Hinoto? I told you to do it last period and you still haven't finished!" There was a loud thump and a smothered sniffle from inside the restroom, and I paused, a sandwich halfway to my mouth. Was someone crying?_

_"I-I t-t-tried. S-sorry, I-I'm so-sorry S-S-Saku-kura. I'm t-trying!" Sobs broke through every word, shattering everything the voice that sounded like delicate crystal had said. I sealed the bag my sandwich was in and dumped it back into my back. I dropped it to the floor and took a step onto the pink tiles, double-checking that no one was around to see anything._

_I peeked around the corner._

_"Trying isn't good enough." Bubblegum pink hair, clashing with the bright, toothpaste-green walls popped out at me first and then I noticed perfectly white teeth that were bared in an ugly sneer. The young girl of my affections, Sakura as it were, landed a solid kick into the ribs of the shaking girl on the ground. "You're so useless Hiana!" I gasped quietly in shock. What was going on here?_

_The dark haired girl got up onto her elbows and coughed for a few seconds. My eyes widened when her hand came away from her chin bloody. My God._

_"I-I j-j-just n-need more t-t-t-time..." She was dragged to her feet, and I noticed that she was a full head shorter than the already under average-sized girl holding her by the front of her shirt. _

_"You shouldn't need more time, you idiot! I gave you plenty of time. I bet you were doing yours first again, weren't you? Selfish bitch!" I frowned so deeply it hurt. This wasn't the pretty Sakura I knew, definitely not the straight A kiss ass that sat next to me in Algebra 1, and most certainly not the girl I'd had a crush on for the past five years. _

_"Hey!" My voice was booming in the confined space of the restroom. I stepped around the corner, my lips caught in a snarl and my blonde eyebrows furrowed. "What the fuck is the matter with you? Let her go!"_

_Sakura dropped the girl and stepped over her, approaching me slowly. "Now," she got on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear, "this'll be our little secret. Right?" She kissed my cheek, and I pressed my lips together, my blue eyes dropping shut. I grunted and pushed past her, knocking her against the wall. She left with just the slightest sound of indignation._

_"Are you alright?" I knelt down on the cold ground beside the crying girl and helped her sit. Her lip was bleeding- I inwardly sighed in relief- and her left eye was turning a light shade of purple, but otherwise, she seemed okay._

_"N-Naruto!" A small gasp spilled from her lips and my eyes widened. She knew me?_

_I smiled brightly. "You know me?" She just nodded and wiped at her tear-stained cheeks with an overly-long jacket sleeve. I helped her stand and steadied her with a gentle hand to her back. _

_"W-we h-have homero-room together." She hid behind a curtain of her hair as I slowly led her out into the hall. A few people stopped to stare, but it didn't bother me._

_"Really?" I brightened up even more. "I didn't know that! It's nice to officially meet you then." I smiled at her, and when she smiled back at me for the first time, I knew that I wanted to see that smile every day for the rest of my life._

_ . . . . . . . _

_End Part 2._

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Stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 3

Finale! Enjoy this.

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I was pulled from my reverie by the landing gear of the plane hitting the runway. There was a loud whistle of the wind that echoed through the cabin, and every soldier wearing camouflage cheered loudly. Home. Finally.

My ears popped as the plane touched down for the final time and slowed to a stop. Attendants bustled down the once empty aisles carrying all sorts of useless things. I was shaking with excitement. I needed to see her, now!

My seat belt was off the second the buzzer went off. I pulled my bag from the deck overhead and rushed out into the crowd of people that were all trying to get out at once. Luckily, being big had it's advantages. I pushed my way past a few familiar faces and finally made it to the door. I stepped over the threshold and into the loading area, already searching for a head I knew I wouldn't be able to see quite yet.

"Hinata!" I called into the sea of people, a megawatt grin lighting up my tan face. I jumped a set of chairs, managing to startle an older woman and her husband, and stepped into the thrum of people milling about. I wormed my way out into the main room of the small local airport, the sign above my head reading "Welcome Home Vets!" Tears welled up in my crystal blue eyes and I wiped them away quickly with the sleeve of my coat.

Warm arms wrapped around my middle from behind, and suddenly, I couldn't keep the tears from spilling over any longer. I heard her voice in my ear, or as close to it as she could get, and her small hands stroked my chest.

"Welcome home." I turned in her hold, and there it was. Her smile was in place, just for me. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a hug so tight I was sure she'd suffocate if I held her for too long. I wish I could keep her in my arms forever. "You're-killing-me," Hinata squeaked out quietly into my shoulder. I sniffed once and set her back onto the ground.

I wiped my eyes again and smiled warmly while she straightened out the newly made wrinkles in her lavender blouse. Her white skirt swooshed around her knees loosely and her purple-painted toes peeked out of the ends of her brown Grecian sandals.

I brushed a few strands of her ink-colored hair from her face and tucked them behind her small, rounded ear. "You look even more beautiful than I remember you." People were staring on now, including the huffy old couple I'd disturbed, but I didn't care. I was here with my wife, and that's all that mattered.

Her face flushed a pretty pink, and I basked in the ability I still had to make her feel romantically embarrassed whenever I doted on her. She smiled, tears finally rolling out of her opalescent eyes and onto her alabaster skin, her smile quivering. She threw her arms around my neck, and I lifted her off of the ground again, holding her as close to me as I could, then trying to get even closer.

"I missed you. So much." Her chest shook with quiet sobs against mine, and I brushed her back gently. She pulled her face from my neck and wiped at her tear-stained cheeks with the end of the grey scarf around her neck. I pressed my forehead to hers and looked into her beautifully pale eyes.

"I love you Hinata." She just kissed me.

Wherever I went, I always knew that there would be a place to return to. I just hoped, wherever that may be, she'd be there waiting for me.

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End.

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Review! Please. I wrote this in less than twenty minutes, and I really like it. I'm pleased. Review! Review! Review! Love, AMB11.

P.S. Thank you vets, from the bottom of my heart.


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